Mountain Trailways 3

In recent months, I have spent much of my free time worshiping with my guitar, hiking in the mountains, & meditating on inspirational passages from my favorite devotional books. 3 of them have impressed me profoundly (Pilgrim’s Progress, Edges of His Ways, & Mountain Trailways). The following thoughts combine excerpts & ideas from these 3 devotionals that have found their way into my 3 leisure activities.

1 Chron. 6:32 “They ministered…with singing.”
Col. 3:16 “Singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.”

“I beheld, then, that they all went on till they came to the foot of the hill Difficulty at the bottom of which was a spring…Christian now went to the spring, & drank thereof to refresh himself, & then he began to go up the hill… And he went up singing.”


Each day of our lives we begin where Christian began—that is if we have found the spring where we drink & refresh ourselves. Yes, there are “Difficulties” in life, but there is a Dayspring to be found devotionally with Christ at the base…beginning of each day.

Onward & Upward…Yes! There is a high calling of God in Christ Jesus, so Let us climb! We need not live on the marsh & in the mists. The slopes & ridges invite us!

Teach me the faith of the mountains, serene and sublime,
The deep-rooted joy of just living one day at a time;
Leaving the petty possessions the valley-folk buy
For the glory of glad wind-swept spaces where earth meets the sky.

Teach me the faith of the mountains, their strength to endure,
The breadth and the depth of their vision, unswerving and sure,
Counting the dawn and the starlight as parts of one whole
Wrought by the Spirit Eternal, within His control.
--Author Unknown

I am believing that some, who have perhaps till now tried to avoid climbing the hill Difficulty, will face it with a new purpose. Do not forget the spring & do not forget the song. “They ministered…with singing.” Let us climb…& let us climb singing!

O Lord, Help us to live a mountain-top life…Help us to live the joy in the journey!

On the Road Again

It's 1:15 am, & I'm about to pack for a 2-day business trip. I just couldn't resist posting this little essay that I edited for one of my daughter's classes last week. Enjoy...

Equipping Yourself for the Journey by Alexis Buhler

Equipping Yourself for the Journey

by Alexis Buhler

Have you ever been on a long vacation and had to pack a large suitcase filled with all the things you may need while you’re gone? Packing with a mindset of knowing every item that may make or break your experience on this trip. Whether it’s a coat incase the weather is chilly or an umbrella for if it rains, a book for when there’s nothing to do or that motion sickness medicine that will ensure you have a pleasant plane flight, you must be absolutely prepared.

Well, if you picture your walk with God as being a long-term vacation. After you have made that wonderful decision to follow Him and His ways, You must repack your suitcase to be prepared for this adventure. Taking out the unneeded items such as impurity, lust, greed, and worldly goods, and refilling with what is now most important.

The Apostle Paul wrote the book Colossians to be a guide to Christians of what to ‘pack’ for their journey with Christ. In chapter 3 verses 12-14 he explains,

“So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense. Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you. And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It’s your basic all-purpose garment Never be without it.”

Now, all there’s left to do is pick up those all important items and make sure they are securely packed in your suitcase, because God Himself picked out this wardrobe for you. If you wear it during your journey with Him you will never stray from the path ahead and no matter the circumstance you will prepared for whatever evil is thrown your way.

I couldn't have said it better myself.

A Weekend to Remember

This last weekend, I was blessed with the opportunity…rather, the privilege of spending 4 days & nights at the “Interpreter’s House” alone. For over a year, I have hoped, planned & tried to get out, away by myself to the Ellijay cabins. Who wouldn’t want to enjoy the 34 acres we rent, or the 500+ wooded acres that surround them for a writing, prayer & hiking retreat? However,as often happens with most of us, the urgent kept crowding & narrowing the important.
Wow!!! What a wonderful, life-renewing time…without clocks or calendars. What a feast without food, what happiness & pleasure with no technology. I regularly lost…or yielded 3-5 hours at a time to rapturous & repetitious worship …difficult puzzles… intimate & inspiring devotions, scripture confession…prayer hikes, animal/insect watching…listening, laughing, crying…reflective writing, contemplative journaling, reading “great” books,...& encountering the Living God!
I found myself thanking God for this time & place, for my godly wife, amazing children, Christian parents, my brothers & their families…the God of Spirit & Word…the fears & failures of the recent past, & even the acute pain of a severely burnt finger & numerous thorn cuts from hiking. I found pleasure in the extreme cold (11 degrees), the kitchen wall mice, coffee (which I believe was in the Garden of Eden before the fall), water, gathering firewood & being constantly awakened with resulting insomnia from the deer & possums near the front porch. Oh…I loved sleeping in (that’s 9:30am for those wondering), cherished a bowl of hot soup…a glass of wine, communion…& the Cross & Spirit of Christ. I marveled at a spider web, a piece of cheese toast, Jehovah-Rapha’s healing presence…& tears of sorrow & joy. I was captivated by the treasure of plain-old stuff (cabin décor), earth, wind, fire & sunsets!!! God’s creation is amazing…especially mountains, trees, rocks, streams & waterfalls.
Then, I was startled by a text message announcing the birth of my new nephew, “Jackson Justice Buhler,”…that brought a flood of memories of when my kids were born, little, insatiably playful & adventurous. Life is a gift, there’s joy in the journey, & the supreme adventure is being born…& being born-again!
We put too much emphasis on the pursuit of happiness rather than on happiness itself. Everything we truly need to make us happy lies within our grasp…it’s “at hand.” Chesterton said, “The key to happiness & the key to wonder is humility. Humility means being small enough to see the greatness of something & to feel unworthy of it, & privileged to be able to enjoy it…Ironically, both the skeptic & the believer think the Gospel & God are too good to be true. But the skeptic scorns it, & the believer falls on his knees.”
It’s been said that the true test of happiness is gratitude…From my knees, with all my heart & soul, I say “Thank you Lord!...I praise you for how you meet me…meet us in the sacred spaces & special places of our lives –guiding, healing, alerting, revealing, inspiring, convicting…& providing insight, comfort & understanding. Thank you for the glorious Gospel, a great life journey & the love of a Living God that are too good to be true!”